North American YP-82L Tri-Stang

[PR19_Kit]

465172 actually had 8 x 0.50" MGs rather than cannon. I didn't realise till I saw kitnut617's head-on piccie that they'd done away with the six wing mounted 50s, can't imagine why. The P-82Gs had them as well as the radar pod so it can't be anything structural.

If I kept the original 12 x 50s AND had a pod under each 'centre section' with 8 x 50s each like 465172, it'd have TWENTY EIGHT guns!  And it probably stop dead when they were all fired too! 

[kitnut617]

The P-82Gs had them as well as the radar pod so it can't be anything structural.

Maybe more space for ammo ? 

Somewhere on my computer I have a bunch of photos of that gun pod, I think it is in an email but do you think I can find it now --- 

[PR19_Kit]

Here it is in camera toting form, only the second piccie I ever saw of the RP-82B anywhere.

[nighthunter]

I love the Idea, Kit, have fun!

[Tophe]

I do love this tristang

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

I know this has been (well) covered, but the thing is, that much firepower will likely kill only the airspeed and the poor wee thing will drop out the sky. I cannot recall which aircraft this happened to in the real world, maybe one of those odd Me262 prototypes with the 50mm cannon sticking out of the nose or the Hs129 with the PaK 40 under the belly.

Doesn't matter really, just another wonderful example of forethought and execution, and another reason of why I LOVE building What If's.

Ian

edited ,cos I didn't read ALL the responses !!

[Old Wombat]

If I kept the original 12 x 50s AND had a pod under each 'centre section' with 8 x 50s each like 465172, it'd have TWENTY EIGHT guns!  And it probably stop dead when they were all fired too! 

Or, more likely, fly backwards!



Guy

[PR19_Kit]

Modifying that big radar pod again looks to be a right pain. 

I think I'll keep both sets of six 0.5s and load up the wings with drop tanks. 'Betty Jo' in the USAFM at Dayton looked seriously impressive when she had four tanks aboard, so my Tri-Stang should look even better with eight, or more even. 

[PR19_Kit]

Finally got all three Merlins attached to the Tri-Stang.

Now to fill up the centre 'cockpit' with Milliput and then a mammoth PSR session I suspect.

[sandiego89]

Looking great Kit- keep it up!  Great idea to put a fairing over the center cockpit. - Dave

[PR19_Kit]

The centre fuselage is really just a powered fuel tank, and I've already filed down the windscreen control panel area to match the upper fuselage contours but couldn't for the life of me figure out how to fill in the hole. I tried planking it a la a model boat hull, but there's nothing to support it at the front, and then a genius on here suggested filling it with Milliput. It'll weigh a ton but the thing's got SIX landing gear legs after all! 

The planned shape of the centre fuselage is at the bottom of the drawing below, but the centre fuselage's intended contra-prop isn't shown at the moment.

[martinbayer]

The centre fuselage is really just a powered fuel tank, and I've already filed down the windscreen control panel area to match the upper fuselage contours but couldn't for the life of me figure out how to fill in the hole. I tried planking it a la a model boat hull, but there's nothing to support it at the front, and then a genius on here suggested filling it with Milliput. It'll weigh a ton but the thing's got SIX landing gear legs after all!  

Kit,

I realise it's a bit late for that, but would perhaps gluing one or two support tabs to the inside of the fuselage at the forward end of the cockpit opening as the front support for subsequent cover planks and a layer of putty for final shaping work?

Martin

[kitnut617]

What I did for the project I'm working on (you know the one  ) I cut down the fuselage sides a bit, then laid strips of styrene across the hole which were glued to the lowered edges.  Once sufficient strips were laid down and built up,  I then just sanded the whole thing back to shape.  I only needed a small swipe of putty to tidy things up afterwards.

[JayBee]

I still think it needs longer wings. 

[Tophe]

Great! Please go on and on...